A hiker was hoisted into a helicopter during a rescue on a Studio City trail.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department
, firefighters hoisted the hiker into an LAFD Air Operations helicopter for transport to a local hospital. No firefighter injuries were reported during the operation.
Why Airlifts Are Common in This Terrain
Station 97 was involved in the response, and LAFD Air Operations used a helicopter to hoist the hiker.
The hoist was not an isolated event for the area. LAFD Air Operations has repeatedly executed helicopter extractions in the nearby Fryman Canyon terrain, including an airlift of a fatigued teen hiker in August 2024. The 122-acre Fryman Canyon Park has trails connecting Wilacre Park and Coldwater Canyon Park.
LAPD Assisted With Ground Support
The Los Angeles Police Department was requested to assist with the incident, which LAPD logged as Incident #2937.
The specific medical emergency affecting the hiker was not detailed in the department's initial alert.
A Busy Trail Network in a Changing District
The area's trailheads have also seen recent changes: earlier this year, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority reinstated a $7 two-hour parking fee at the lower Wilacre Park trailhead after Los Angeles County ended a decade-long subsidy that had kept the lot free, according to local reporting by Arthur Aslanian. The change has reportedly pushed some hiker parking into surrounding residential streets.
The operation adds to a growing list of LAFD helicopter rescues across the region's hillside parks. Hoodline reported on a similar Fryman Canyon rescue in 2024. Those repeated call-outs document helicopter rescues in the region's hillside parks.
